Phytotherapy as treatment for anxiety: An alternative to minimize addiction and side effects

Objective: To describe the anxiolytic activity and possible mechanisms of action on the central nervous system of plants found in the region known as legal Amazon in the Brazilian territory. Bibliographic Review: For this, five plants popularly used as tranquilizers and to treat insomnia in the forms of teas and extracts were selected, they are: passion fruit, valerian, chamomile, lemon grass and bay leaf. A bibliographic survey of articles, mainly original research, reporting comparative studies of the anxiolytic effects of each plant against control groups, as well as its possible mechanisms of action on the nervous system through preclinical and clinical studies, was performed. Conclusion: All the selected plants exhibited comparable and even superior anxiolytic effects when compared to classes of drugs such as benzodiazepines, with minimization or elimination of side/adverse effects. In addition, all reviewed studies indicated some involvement of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors activation by plant chemical constituents in anxiolytic action. Due to the minimization of adverse effects and the absence of dependence, herbal medicine appears as an important alternative therapy to treat anxiety disorders.